| 1 |
aqua (water
| Plain old water |
| 2 |
tocopheryl acetate
| A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients. |
| 3 |
glycerin
| One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant |
| 4 |
caprylic/capric triglyceride
| A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin |
| 5 |
helianthus, annuus (sunflower) seed oil
| A great emollient due to its high linoleic acid content. One of the most effective plant oils in helping skin hydration and repairing skin barrier function |
| 6 |
stearic acid
| Helps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient |
| 7 |
cetyl alcohol
| A non-drying alcohol that works to soften the skin and stabilize product formulations helping oil and water mix together |
| 8 |
polysorbate 60
| Helps oil and water mix together |
| 9 |
sorbitan stearate
| Helps water and oil mix together |
| 10 |
persea gratissima (avocado) oil
| An emollient that helps soften the skin and could be helpful in repairing its barrier function |
| 11 |
prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil
| Helps soften the upper layer of the skin |
| 12 |
triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil
| A good emoillient. Contains vitamin E which can help neutralise free radicals, however the oil is unstable. Avoid if you have gluten or wheat sensitivity (including food allergies). |
| 13 |
aloe barbadensis leaf juice
| Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin |
| 14 |
citrus grandis (grapefruit) fruit extract
| |
| 15 |
ascorbic acid
| One of the few well researched potent anti-aging ingredients. When it is able to penetrate the skin in an active state, it is effective against fine lines and wrinkles, helps improve skin elasticity and reduce hyperpigmentation. It acts as a powerful anti-oxidant and stimulates collagen production. The main issue with ascorbic acid is that it is highly unstable, in other words, it is losing its effectivenss quickly when exposed to air and light (if a serum or cream containing ascorbic acid has an orange color, it is a likely that the ingredient has oxidized and is no longer active). In addition, it is water-soluble, meaning that it has difficulty pentrating the skin. It is also quite irritating, and can cause stinging. When used in low concentrations, helps stabilize the product formulation |
| 16 |
carbomer
| Helps create a gel-like product texture. Can be used in gentle cleansing formulations |
| 17 |
potassium cetyl phosphate
| Helps oil and water mix together |
| 18 |
potassium hydroxide
| Used to adjust the pH level of products |
| 19 |
retinyl palmitate
| Three steps removed from the active form of vitamin A - retinoic acid. To have an effect in the skin, it first needs to be converted twice to become the retinoic acid. This means it is less potent than retinol, but could also be less irritating. Once converted to the retinoic acid in the skin, it helps against all signs of aging, improves skin cell turnover and helps fight blemishes and clogged pores. However, in many cosmetic formulations, it is used in a concentration that is too low to have the full effect |
| 20 |
sorbic acid
| A preservative |
| 21 |
benzyl alcohol
| A preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritating |
| 22 |
potassium sorbate
| A preservative |
| 23 |
sodium benzoate
| A preservative |
| 24 |
*certified ingredient. *certified ingredient.* vegetarian, vegan caution: for external use only. avoid contact with eyes. keep out of the reach of children.
| The ingredient is not recognized |
